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(No Model-) 1 H. T. BUHMEIER. vENBTAN BLIND.

No. 371,800. Patented Oct. '11, 1887 1 u| v.\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\S x Yin Fig. 1.

UNITED STATES HENRY T. BUHMEIER,

PATENT GEEICE.

OF NEW' YORK, N. Y.

VENETIAN BLIND.

SPECIFICATION forming-part of Letters Patent No. 371,300, dated October11, 1887.

Application filed June 21, 1887. Serial No. 241,977. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY T. BUHMEIER, of the city, county, and State ofNew York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in VenetianBlinds and Means for Adjusting and Locking theMovable Slats Therein; andI do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact descriptionthereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters and figures of reference marked thereon, making a part of thisspecification,

Figure 1 is a front view, partly in section, of a window-blind fittedwith my improvement; Fig. 2, a vertical cross-section, upon an enlargedscale, in line w w of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a vertical section in line y y ofFig. l; Fig. 4, a crosssection in line e cof Fig. 1; Fig. 5, a verticaldetached section in line fu rfof Fig. 4. Figs. 6 to 9 are sectionalviews of like character with Fig. 2, illustrating, severally,modifications in the invention. l

The object of my invention is to facilitate the adjustment and lockingof the movable slats in Venetian blinds.

It consists, mainly, in the combination,with the pivotal axes of theseveral slats, of a chain or cord actuated in one direction by a springand adapted to engage and by its movement rotate the slat, and in thecombination, with such a springactuated chain or cord, of a suitableactuating-lever and catch, as hereinafter fully described.

It consists, also, in combining one or more of the blind-slats with theactuating-chain by means of a clutch, whereby the slat may be thrown atwill into and out of gear with said chain.

In the accompanying drawings, 1 represents the shutter-frame, of wood ormetal, having a longitudinal recess, 2, formed in one of its stiles 3.The pivot-pin 4t of each slat, at the end thereof adjacent to saidrecess, is made long enough to pass through an aperture pierced in theinner side of the stile and project into the longitudinal recess 2, asshown Each pivot-pin is tted with an actuating wheel or pinion, 5, whoseperiphery is armed with pins 6 6, adapted to engage the links of acha-in, 7, carried longitudinally within the recess, so as to come intocontact and engagement with each of said pinions 5 5. This chain may beendless, as shown in Fig. 2, to pass continuously around the pinions ofthe upper and lower slats.` In such case its engagement with the pinionof each intermediate slat is secured by leading it over twofrietion-rollers, 8 8, placed centrally between the several pinions insuch position as to draw in the otherwise parallel lengths of the chainbetweenthe several pinions, as shown wheel, 12, upon a shaft, 13,mounted to rotate" in a recess in said lower bar of the frame parallelwith the slats, and' to project into 'the longitudinal recess .2, so asto carry the lower pinion of the series over which the chain is carried.

By the oscillation of the lever 10 this pinion is partly rotated, andits movement, by actuating the chain 7, will cause all the other pinionsand slats to move in unison. The lever 10 is locked in its movement bymeans of a spring-actuated catch or pawl, 14, (see Fig. 3,) whichengages automatically the teeth of the segment 1l. When this pawl orcatch is lifted, the spring 9 is left free to operate in closing theslats, the lever 1() being .thereby turned upward. By pressing the leverdownward the chain is drawn in the reverse direction, thereby winding upthe spring and simultaneously opening the slats'.

To permit the opening of any one of the V slats independently of theothers, I mount the pinion for said' slat loosely upon its pivot, sothat the slat may turn independently of the pinion, and I fit upon thepivot-pin of the slat a simple clutch device, which may cnsist of afriction-disk, 15, (see Figs. 4 and 5,) left free to play longitudinallythereon to and from the pinion, but which is prevented by a spline fromturning independently of the pivot. This friction-disk is serrated uponthe face thereof, which comes into Contact with the face of the pinion,so as to engage the same,

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the face of the pinion being in like manner serrated to form acounterpart of the disk, whereby the two, when brought together, willinterlock.

The disk 15 is moved to and from the pinion by means of a lever, 16,andthe two are automatically held in contact by means of a spring, 17.

The application of my invention to blinds admits of variousmodifications, both in the arrangement of the spring-actuated chain andin the device for operating the same.

Fig. 6 ofY the drawings illustrates the slats as actuated by means of atoothed segment,

v 18, fitted upon one of the slats to be engaged by a sliding rack, 19,fitted upon the frame, the rack being locked by a spring-actuated latch,20. It also represents the chain as governed by springs coupled to thepivots 21 21 of two of the slats.

In Fig. 7 two separate chains, 22 22, each actuated by an independentspring, 25, are substituted for the single endless chain and springsshown in Fig. 6, the slats in this case being represented as turned by asimple arm or lever, 23, projecting from one of them.

Fig. S illustrates the combination of a single straight spring-actuatedchain, 24, `with the pinions 5 5 of the slats, the spring 25 being,however, coupled directly to the chain, instead of mediately to one ofthe pinions.

Fig. 9 shows a single straight spring-actuated'chain, 26, made of ilatlinks, to engage an arm projecting from each slat, instead of a wheel orpinion secured thereto.

In the use of my invention the slats will all move in unison, because oftheir engagement severally with one common connecting-chain. The springattachment operates automatically to so draw the chain so that the slatswill all be turned thereby into their closed position. When it isdesired to open the slats more or less, this is accomplished by amovement of the chain, said movement being produced either by turning,in manner as described, one of the pinions engaging the chain or bymoving a lever projecting radially from the axis of one of the slats.

I claim as my invention- 1. VThe combination, with the pivoted slats ina Venetian blind, of a chain geared to the several slats to cause by itslongitudinal movement a partial rotation thereof, and a spring actuatingsaid chain to draw it automatically in one direction, substantially inthe manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

2. The combination, with the pivoted slats in a Venetian blind and aspring-actuated chain geared thereto to turn them automatically in onedirection, of a pivoted segment Whose axis is parallel with that of theslats, operating by its movement to turn the slatsin the oppositedirection, and a catch operating automatically to lock the segment andslats, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

3. The combination, with the pivoted slats in a Venetian blind, pinionssecured severally to one end of each slat, and a chain engaging theperiphery of each pinion, of intermediate guide-rollers over which thechain is led and which by reason ot'- their location cause the chain tobind upon the pinions, substantially in the manner and for the purposeherein set forth.

4. The combination, with the pivoted slats in a Venetian blind, pinionssecured severally to the end of each slat, and a chain engaging theperipheries of the several pinions, of a loose pinion engaged by saidchain and fitted upon the axis of one of said slats, a clutch iittedupon the same axis to move into and out of engagement with said loosepinion, and a lever actuating said clutch, substantially in the mannerand for the purpose herein set forth.

In testimony Whereofl have signed my name to this speci tlcation in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

' HENRY T. BUHMEIER.

Witnesses:

A. N. JEsBERA, M. E. FINLEY.

